HINTS TO THE HiOME MAKER. The Bottomn. Drawer.--Most thrifty. giris .who are contemplating mat'imnony ha\'e a "bottom drawer" (and often a few top ones) well stocked. HIousehold linen is a genuine nfcessity, and all expilsive oine. UneIss oome getnerou.s and thoughtful relatti"e can be dIepended on to pro vide this -ommod'ity en mnase' (and a capital wed dinig present it is), it is wiser for the expectant bride to gradually prepare the needful articles; Get shctie pillow cases, towels and table clotlii first. One can manage to exist without .table centres, doyle.vs and ,fancy mats; besides, thlese very gcnerilly help to swell the list of wedding gifts. Sheet, nn'i Pillow C:ise~.-It is far more eco uomical to make thele: at :home. Th[e price, of linen sheeting' cduoiences, at about 2/8 per ,ard.' toodp.cotion lsheetiing co:its about 1/ a yard less. Pl'tlowt cases look so. much daintier lhemstitcehed.. Ic is only a nmatter of industly and time when untdirtalen plieisonaill:.. In. read...

WAIFS AND STRAY'S SOCIETY. AN APPEATL. S.r,-Will you kindly allow me, through the medlium of your columns, to make an appeal to your readc'rs on behalf of the Waifs and Stray3 Society. The splendid result of the soCiety's operaticos may be gathered from the fact that over 18,000 children have been received under its care since the commencement of operations in 1861, the n majority of whonm are now self supporting and self respecting men and women, and worthy ciltizens of our Empire. At present, the society's family consists of more. than 4100 boys and girls, who are bxing fed, clothed, and cared for in the 110 home-, or boarded out in the country with respectable foster parents. Then there is the emigration branch, which is chielly utilised for those childlren whom it is absolutely" neces sary to sepanate ai far as possible from their unworthy and disreputable relatives, in order that all the loving care and attention bestowed upon themn may lnot be wasted. For the maintenance hnd e...

S THE HOME. MISTAKES I MADE. By a Girl Who Knew Next to Nothing.of Etiquette w.hen She First Went Into Society. 'No, I won't !" I thought as I read Mirs. Jollyparty's note. "I won't! I won't! Why should I be made a stop-gap, a sort, of last resource person, for anybody's conveni ence ? I won't, and that settles it !" MIrs. Jollyparty was an old friend of my mother, and had been awfully good, hasving ,me out, and taking me to theaties since 1 had come up to London to work and live .on my own. But to return to the.. ncte. "I'm so sorry, dear," it ran; "hut Mrs. NLeverwell is ill again-'flue, or something- and has just wired me that she cannot come to-night, so will you be a deat and come in ber place to make my table even' ? Please send me an answer by bearer." I objected strongly- to being sent for at the last minoment. It had happened before. In fact, this was the third time. MY GRIESVANOIE. "If she wants me," I thought, "she can ask me in the proper way, with ten or fifteen days' n...

THE VANISH1ED TYPE. In recent diseussions on the modern girl one sign in favor of the newer type has passed munnoticed. The reference is to the disappeara'nce of the 'lady "crossed in love." Thcse wixo have arrived at tihe half-way house t~owards three score years and ten will remember how much she was in evi dence in tlheir youth, not only in the litera ture of the day, 'but in actual life. She was. usually of uncertain age, bordebing on 40, but dressed in juvenile fashion, often wear ing her hair down her back. A mysteriotis air of sympathy and toleration surrounded her, and the greatest care was takehn to say nothling in her presence that ,might hurt her too sensitive feelings, for. of course. she was '"not like other . eople," When she left a ro6m full of cormpany, her "sad story"' would be retailed in a 'hushed x,'hisper, and a symnpatheti'c sigh and tear would greet her re-entry. Frequent faint ing fits, violent outbursts of tears and hys terics, refusal of food, and seclusion...

ENGLAND V. SOUTH AFRICA. VICTORY FOR. ENGLISH TEAM. JOHANNESBUG, :ith. January. The match between the .IEngliih team and South Africa was concluded on the \anderers' ground to-day., -and resulted .in a victory for th.e EnS,'i.hmen witl 901 :91un., to spare. In their second innings ,Sou6ith Africa made 30-4. ?For the visitors, Barniesii captured five wickets for 12' rui?. :.,

THE 81Y GIRL, One of the nicest girls makes her self really un'happpy because' she is sc shy that to go to. any sort of a party is ar absolute misery' to her. 'I always,.feel someinow that -I am not winted, and that people only ask me out of kindne~ss"'she says, plaintiveiy. And if, sic i' presuaded to take p'utt ii any feitivity she sits vo shyly in the cornel that dhe simply has to be dragged out and made to take part in whatever is going on. She sees other girls, who can't sing or play Ihalf so w efl as he,. doin- their littlE part to make tae party 'go" successfully, but for herself ihe is so dreadfully shy and senaitive tfat she liways say-s "No, really i'd rather .not," heenassked. to do any thing A good .many girsa havei this horrid "shy' feeling, but it's really unnecessary to give way to it. It arises, of course more or less from self-ecnsciousness, and there's rB' doubt about it that its a very horrid feeling, but the girl who wants to be happy and popu lar will make up he...

AMERICAN BASEBALLERSU -, RRIVAL IN MELBOURNE . PUBLIC. RE ICEPTION. '- Th Aeia. h . The. American. baseball players, who ae beeh' much paragraphed since •their arriva?l in Australia, reached Melbourne on Tuesday. nhey came overland from Syd ney by the expresl, which was due at .-Spencer-street at 12:51, but was som ewhat late-a noitf uncommon experience. The fame of -the visitors had gone before them. :'There was a ciowd on :tlie station waiting to receive them,. amon thile -crowd being prominent crilietel'c, footballers, runners and baseballcei-the latter a sminall section who blu.shh i:nsecea during a great part of the year, b"ut hiave blossomed' into: full i?tature ofl .te. As tle baseballers stepped off the trai it was se?een thkt there was a small army of them, numbering between 60 and 70 pcroris.o . Rather less than ;balf are international players. The rest are fol lowers, 'sportsmen .and- admirers of -the gamnie. In the party there are nearly a score of ladice. The successful...

FILET LACE. There are few hinds of francy work that prove so fascinating as the making of filet lace which 'Ias ihad, and still has, a phenomenal vague; Like all good things, it is expensive to buy, but. the making of it is an easily-acquired art. and the materials employed, v'iz., thie thread and neddle: for netting, mean but a small outlay. A book of instructions, with desimnis, c' be" pt:rchase4 for a few pence. Aft.er the nietted background has been made; tlie designs are formed by darning some of the open squar(cs cr mneshes. Any deign can b cop!ed---as it.is simply a matter.of correctness in countili?g the squares-in putting in the darned pattern... Many of the filet lace designs are delightfully qua?nt in their treatment, and as anything with an old-world .air is mucih favored just now, this may probably be one of the reasons for its popu,; larity. " "' '- :' THE USESf OF. FILET LAOCE.. Tllhere appears to lbe no limit to.the number of ways in which filet lace can be .utilised...

LORD MAYOr'S WELCOME. The civic reception took place at 2.30 D.m:, w?hen the old council chatmuber was we!l filled with baseb'allers, Vii ting Ameri cans..and represenative men in political and athletic circles. Tlhc Lord Mayor, in proposing.'the health of the visitorsm, referred to the fact that -they had with them ieprlesentative Ameri can journadlists and einematographli opera tors. He traced the :history of .basebali in Australia, and observed that it had been played here as far ibadk as 1857;- He mentioned the fact that MIr. Laver .had taken a baseball teoam to America- a few years bac~k, and that_ it .had won nine matehes and lost nineteen.' l He was glad to welcome 'the players 'to this oountry; and was sure tihey would find no warmer hearted people in the world than they would find .hiere. . (.Ohers.) The Mini ter for External Affairs. in sup porting thlie toast, orbserved tlhat Ibaseball was a game in, wUEhih p;hysieal enelgy, skill ',lnd solf-control wvere..all called into...

A WINDOW FITMENT. This is'quite a simple fitment which any handy person could make. It consists of book shelves with cupboards beneath. As ihese form sides to thfeS eat, makinig it into. what. children call a .'cubby-bouse,", thle. cupboard doors. must open froan the outside. These cupbbards will be ex sellent storing ilaces for needlework, or painlt inig materials or any other hobby dear to the heart of thle owner.

FIRST IGAME IN -MELBOURNE. The American baseball players gave theji first exhibition of tiheir pational game on .the MIelbourne cricket ground on Wedneus day afternoon. One of the teams-t-he Nev York Giats--wcas advertised to play a maitch against a Vrictorian team at o'clock, anid abount tlhat hour there was a fair sprinkling of splectators present.. The star item in the programme, a match be tween the New York Giarits and Ciicag, White Sox was advertised for 4 o'c!ock. When 'the more important match com menced there were iO7500 people on the ground: The menibers' reserves were well patroniised, ladies 'being muchin evidence, and the shilling stands in the outer pats; of the ground held rather more than a quorum of curious spectators. The sum. of £281 iWas taken at the, gates. The weather was liot at the commencement, but a cool breeze came up later in the afternioon. The first exhibition game, whlich started at 2.30 p.m., excited some interest and some amusement. It was the novelr...

TWO MORE MATCHES. Thle American b?.ebill players.eoncluded -their visit to Melbourne on Thursday, and left for Adelaide 'by exircEs tiain in the af ternoon. 'Phey played two more gamei on the Mellbourne cricket ground, one against a Victorian team, and the other a match amongst themselves. Thie weather was -ooler than on WVednesday, and the con ditions much more pleasant for both .lay ecs and spectators. The attendance was, however, much .smaller than on tile opening day. :Tihe members' enclosure was fairly well filled, but the outer rser rve.s-;lhere the privilege ticket does not hold good- contained only a few hundred spectators. It was evident that the curiosity of Melbourne with regard to the game pulayed by the Americans was quite satisfied. T'he visit to this State was neverthe!ess voted a great snuceess .by the players, one and all of ,whom sploke with enthusiasm of the reception accorded them, of the Melbourne ..playing grounid, and o~f Melbourne as.a city. Con. corning the ...

COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON. REIMARKiS BY GOV'IRNiORn-GINERAL. The American baseball teams, before be ginning the serious business of the day. were . entertained at lunch on Wed nesday by the president and com mittee of the Melbourne Cricket Club. The luncheon tbok place in the club pavilion, arid there wase a represen tative gathering of several hundred peaple. The president of the Melbourne Cricket Clu'b '(Mr. Justiy 'Cussen) was in the chair, and on his right as chief guest, was the G(overnorGeneral. Others at the first' table were the Federal Attorney-General (Mir. W. H. Irvineh , the Minister for Exter nald ff'ire (Mr. P .M 4. lynn), the Minis terof D)efente (Senator Millen); theStace Premier ('Mr. Watt), Mr. Andrew Fisher, M.P.; tle Lord MIayor of Melbourne (Cr. HIennessy), the president of the Victorian Cricket Association. (Mr. Donald M'Kin non), the manager of.the New York Giants (Mr. J. J. M'Graw), the manager of the (hicago White Sox (Mr. J. f. Callahan), and others. The first...

STADIUM AIIRANCGEMENTS. NO COINT~ST TO-NIGHIT. It w'?as intendedl that Milburn- Saylor should me et Edtdlij Newhouse at the West Melbourne stadium to.-nicit, l'ut as Saylor conaidezs it~ advis ible to take a rest before his importA.mt cugage antiit with lIughie Mehegan, the contcest has; fallen through. In the limited time at its distosa]l the mnaligementc of the stadium coouhl not alrral:nxe for a .lt!tch which would be in keeping with the tir-t clas events that have been held there since its olpening, and in the circumstances decided to Icavce ext Saturday :a blank. IMr. iker leav'es for rnmerica to-day to visit the UInitedl State. and Europe in searchl o lthe be-t talent hie can secure, n?lt also to perse'n tliy negotiate with Gcorges GCarpenli.r and othev famous intCrnational boxers for ::n AIustralian visit. Mr. Baker- will alio convene a confereace of Eu1rolpe'n and American b.xintg authorities to inducec them to adopt the rules an dweight rcgu hations at present prevaiil:g in...

BOXINl FIEAVTHE.I WELOR?IIT CH t:M1PIO?NSHILIP C. S1.1MPSON V. TOGO LYONS. When "Charlie" Simpson anti "Togo" Lyon, climbed through tihe ropes into the ring at the statiuth on Saturday nlighlt there was a great deal of curiosity ,to see hIow the Queenslant champion woult shape on his first appearance in Meltbournll. Had Ihe been inatched against any onel but Simpson e migllhtll have more favorably impressed the audience. As it happened, he waa beaten in practically every round and in every ldepartment of the game. Ile had a left punch and a left uppercut that were pretty cnough to watch, but would hardly have dinted a card ',oard opponent. Ils right glove never once left his shoulder, and whlen it came to fighting itt the clinch, all he could do was to keep his feet until Simpson grew tired of ipunchling him in the ribs Hlad Simppsn possses?ed as much science ua he had speed, power and willingness "Togo" Lyons would have been taking the coutnt' in the tenth routid,but the Victoria-n...

A CIITLD'S VALUE. By all means albolish the home, and let us all go to live in hotels and flats and boarding houses. It is a grand suggestion, and only needs to be enforced on a suffi ciently broad scale to obliterate nine-tenths of the sum total of marital unhappiness. Take my case. When I married my hus band lhe worshipped me, and I adored him. We went straight from the honev moon into a darling little cottage, and played Joan and 1)arby to our hearts' dis content. N'ow we tolerate and hate each other intermittently, and we only kiss after ho!lidays spent apart. The reason ? The home has chained us a pair of slaves to one plank, and wc hav\-en't a child in whose career we might embark our secret un chained hopes and fancies and unuttered aspirations. I know Jack from A to Z, end he know's me. We bore eaclt other to distraction. He could not surprise me, and 1 shall,never surprise him until I muster .up the courace to go away with his best. frienl, Will-1or some other man. And noth...

S SMITHI-M'(GOOlfY FIGHT PICTURES. The. i ios?copic 'pctures of the Smith-3M'Gcrty boxing.flmatch in Sydney, which are being, shown at the Oper Iohuse, is one not to be missed by thone interestced in boxing. The picture depicts in the most r,:listic and naturli way the bri?t bilt Ceneatiol:l series of iieidents which led u, to the defe: of Snmith before the contest had gone one roul:l M.'Goorty is shown to have the best of the fight right fronm. the start.. Smith was sent do·in several timnes, Ibut althoughl the odds were aSains bn I. pi i'lucliily stnrggledl to his feet to continue the battle. The filmhn is a particularly good one, ithough :necessarily short. :and clearly i;ndicates the entlusiasm evinccd by the large crowd of onlookers.